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Sole Survivor

"I've never received a professional pedicure. I'm not going to say I never will, but it's not on my list of priorities," explains Marc Stephens, a media supervisor who echo's the sentiment of many men in regards to foot care. But summer is here in full steam! It's sandal weather and time to bare your feet to the world! Here are a few tips that will have your feet ready for the sandal season.

One of the main reasons to catch foot problems early, is to prevent them from causing knee, hip, back, and shoulder problems in the future. Studies have shown that 7 out of 10 people will suffer from some form of foot problem within their lifetime.

One way to maintain the health of your feet may be a regular pedicure or home hot foot bath. According to Burton Goldberg's Alternative Medicine, foot baths are excellent for drawing blood away from inflamed parts of the body or drawing congestion away from an organ. They can help relieve insomnia, sore throats, colds, foot and leg cramps, and pain from gout, neuralgia and headaches. A hot foot bath can also relieve cold hands or feet, nausea, dizziness or faintness. To relieve a sore throat or avert a cold, add a tablespoon of mustard powder per quart of hot water to a foot bath container or basin.

Not only are hot foot baths excellent for your internal system they also help your feet look and feel nice. Systems coordinator and fitness-buff, Joly Clyveens frequently gets pedicures, "I went to get a pedicure out of curiosity, and later I realized not only did it feel great, it was also important for the health of my feet. It really is a matter of hygiene and plus women love a man with nice feet."

Regular pedicures are beneficial for women and men. In todays age men should not feel less masculine for getting work done on their feet. If getting a professional pedicure is out of the picture, you may want to consider creating a hot foot bath technique at home.

» Fill a basin or foot container with hot water. » Add Epsom salt and a few drops of essentials oils such as lavender, peppermint or tea tree oil. » Soak your feet for at least 20 minutes to ease the toughness of the feet, especially the heels. » Exfoliate with a pumice stone or foot scrub. Janel Andre Body Care has a great Ginger Zest Body Scrub Exfoliator to get to those rough areas. » Apply a thick moisturizer and wear socks to bed to lock in the moisture and insure softer feet by the morning. Bath & Body Works has a soothing Eucalyptus Spearmint Body Lotion that gives a slight tingle when applied.

Other tips include to always wear flip flops or shower shoes in public showers to cut down the incidence of athlete's foot and other foot fungi. Also, get regular checkups with your podiatrist to stay ahead of the game. Remember our feet are our foundation, therefore take care of them and they will take care of you.